Description
Crispy Beef Tacos baked to perfection without frying, featuring seasoned ground beef, melted colby jack cheese, and a smoky chipotle crema. These tacos are easy to prepare, crispy outside and juicy inside, perfect for a delicious weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tacos
- 1 Tbsp. oil (canola, vegetable, or olive oil)
- 1 lb. ground beef (85% lean/15% fat or 90/10)
- 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (packet or homemade)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1, 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. colby jack cheese, shredded, divided
- 8-10, 6-inch white or yellow corn tortillas
Chipotle Crema
- 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp. honey or sugar
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 clove garlic
- Salt to taste
For Serving
- Sour cream
- Shredded lettuce, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Pickled red onions
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil or spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Cook Ground Beef: Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Season Beef Mixture: Return the skillet to heat and add taco seasoning, water, minced garlic, lime juice, diced green chiles, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most moisture evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- Add Cheese to Beef: Stir in 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese until well combined. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Tortillas: Wrap tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 45-60 seconds, flipping halfway, to make them pliable. Reheat for 10 seconds if still breaking.
- Assemble Tacos: On one half of each tortilla, spread about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture and top with a little shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over to seal. Lightly brush the top with a bit of oil.
- Arrange for Baking: Place approximately 6 tacos on each prepared baking sheet, being careful not to overfill to avoid oozing. Expect to make 8-10 tacos in total.
- Bake Tacos: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until tacos are hot and crispy, no flipping required.
- Make Chipotle Crema: While tacos bake, combine Mexican crema or sour cream, chipotle peppers, honey or sugar, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve: Serve tacos hot with chipotle crema and preferred toppings such as sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat tacos in the oven for about 10 minutes or microwave for 1 minute.
- If tortillas are breaking, microwave for an additional 10 seconds to increase pliability.
- Do not overfill tacos to prevent filling from spilling out during baking.
- Use Mexican crema or sour cream interchangeably for chipotle crema depending on availability and preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
